Single use single dose medicament delivery devices are widely known and are generally used to dispense medicaments such as epinephrine in an urgent manner to a user. The so called “epi pen” is a typical example of such arrangements. One of the significant disadvantages inherent with these devices relates to jamming. The existing devices often employ spring configurations for movement of key parts such as the needle as well as the barrel which assists in delivery of the medicament to the needle. In the scenario where a jam has occurred, the result can be fatal if the user cannot repair the device to function properly. In some instances, repair is impossible given urgent time constraints and the user is forced to dismantle or destroy the structure in order to gain access to the medication.
The above is possible where the user is not a child or a user otherwise not capable of achieving access. To address the limitations in the art, a variety of solutions have been advanced in the art. An example is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 6,808,507, issued Oct. 26, 2004, to Roser. In the arrangement discussed in this patent, a telescopic member is provided and a spring surrounds the needle. The arrangement is useful, however there is still a possibility that the spring could be defective or otherwise fail, thus complicating delivery.
Botich et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,713, issued Mar. 21, 2000, teach a pre-filled retractable needle device. The device, as is common with most arrangements, includes reciprocating body members, springs, etc. In this instance the device has a number of movable parts which elevates the possibility for jamming or failure.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,846,301, issued to Smith et al., Jun. 25, 2005, teach a disposable safety syringe with a vacuum system to withdraw the needle into the body after use. There is no provision for a mechanical linkage for quick delivery of the medicament.
Given the extent of development in the prior art, there exists a need for an improved medicament dispenser which is efficient and reliable while maintaining a lower profile than those devices currently available.
The present invention provides a significantly improved arrangement which is devoid of the structural limitations inherent with the prior art.